Improvement in air-engines



Dj BIGKFORD.

AIR ENGINE.

. drawings, of Whichtogether,

vUNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

DANA. Bi'oKronn, or Bos'ron, MASSACHUSETTS.

IM PRovEMl-:NT IN 'A1 R-ENGIVNES.

Speclicnton forming part of-l.e ilcls Patent No. 48,043, dntrd June (215115.

{rra/ZZ whom,4 it may concern: y i,

Be it known thatI, DANABICKFORD, of Boston, in the county ofqSufolk and State of Massachusetts, have made a new and useful invention having referenceto air-engines, for operating drills, hammersf-or various other mechanism with a quick reciprocating rectilinearmotion; and I do hereby declare the saine to be fully described inthe following specification and represented in the accompanying Figure 1 is a top View, Fig. 2 a side view, Fig. 43 a front end elevation, and Fig: 6 a longitudinal section, of partof an` engine pro- I vided with my invention, the longitudinal section being taken through the cylindeiythe vibratory conduit, the flexible tube of such conduit,'the reservoir for compressed air, the air- 4 pump,'and `.the lpipe lleading ltherefrom into the said reservoir.

'I have found that when airis being forced into a close reservoir it may be condensed therein to much better advantage if, o'n its entrance into the cylinder, it is made to pass through a mass of liquid covering the mouth of the induction-pipe and situated in the cylinder, and with its surface above the level of the said mouth of the said pipe: Therefore, in carrying out my invention, I so combine with the .reservoir for holding the'compressed air a bodyof liquid (which may be either Water, oil, or mercury, or other proper substitute therefor) that the air while being driven intothe receiver shallbe caused to pass through the liquid contained within such reservoir or in a chamber below and opening intol it; and, furthermore, I combine with thel compressed air-reservoir, and with an opening-cylinder and its piston, a vibratory conduit and gate andto the seat of the opening of the cylinder,substantiallyashereinafterdescribcd. I also employ, in connection with the apparatus for operating the piston in one direction by the force of compressed air, a pin o r its equivalent for moving the pistonin the opposite direction.

In the drawings, A denotes a cylinder or reservoir for holding compressed air, there being a mass of liquid, B, within such reser- An eduction-pipe, E, from an air-pump,'F, leads into the bottoni of the reservoir`,and opens directly into the mass of liquid. A iexible pipe, G, leads out of the airspace of the reservoir and to a curved indexiying outofa vertical cylinder,

Patent No. 12,566, 2, 1855, its pistons being moved byaconnect'- i11g-rod,\V,applied'to a crank, X, extending 4 "from a shaft, fY. LIQ-his shaft carries a gear, Z which engages Awith another gear, A', fixed 0n theshaft B 'of thel ily-Wheel.

cylinder. H and the gateK, air froml the reservoir will 4power of the spring O. The

ble conduit',` H, which-is supported-by and so as to extend through or into a plate, -I, asto valve, K, which rests on the upper surface of the plate I, and by the movement of the pipe H is carried over and oi'ja passage, a, lead- M, provided lwith apiston, N, to'whose rod a lifting-spring, 0,'is applied. A hammer or drill, P, may

project from the lower end-of the piston-rod.

The opening a, leading out of thev upper end ofv the cylinder, is intended to have a'diameter corresponding with that of the bore of the cylinder, in order to enable the air to flow from `the cylinder with as little obstruction as possible When the gate may be ott' the opening or be in the act of uncovering it. A connecting-rod, Q, jointed to the gate K, leads there- .fromto a crank,`R, carriedby a. rocker-shaft, S, arranged as 'shown-in' the drawings.` A-

crank, T, from the rocker-shaft has its pin extendedinto a cam-groove, U, formed in the side of a fly-wheel, V, as shown in Fig'. 5.

' Theforcing-pulnp shown in the drawings is of the kind invented by William T. Vose, and described inthe specification of Letters granted to hinfr on March By revolving the'y-Wheel and its '-shaft, not only will air be forced into the air-receiver, but the pipe H will be moved sofas .to carry the gateiK alternately overand oft the escapepassage a of tlie- By the said operation of the pipe be forced into the cylinder,

so as to suddenly .depress the piston therein,

and such air will lbe allowed Vafterward to as suddenly escape from suchv cylinder, out of which it will be driven `by the piston elevated by the reacting n flexible pipe, which connects the curved inflexible pipe H with thaair-reservoir,will allow of said movement of the pipe H. voir, or in a chamber or space, C, situated be- 'low aperforated septum, D, extending across the reservoir.

The perforated septum, composing the top of the liquid-chamber C, is advantageous in maintaining the'l'iquid in close contact with theair-induction opening, and causing such air to properly spread into and pass through the ,liquidV before entering the air-space above such liquid and in the reservoir.

' The air-engine, as above described, is speciallyuseful for drilling rock in a tunnel or elsewhere, and it also may be used to great advantage in operating a hammer or die when applied to its piston. By forcing the air through the mass of liquid B,v used` in the cylinder A or the chamber G thereof, the liquid not only prevents the back lowage of air linto the pump, but serves to keep the piston tight, and is of service in other respects in the matter of eecting compression of lche air.

I clai1n 1.. The combination of the hollow vibratingv conduit-H, the gate K, and the liftingfspring `O with the piston and cylinder provided with .vibratoly conduit H and gate K, as described. 2. The combination of the hollow vibratory conduit H and the gate K with the air-compressing reservoir A and the open cylinder M, and the piston N thereof.

3. The combination of the vibratory oonduit H and gate K with the flexible conduit G, the gate-seat I, and theopening a thereof, the whole being substantially as and so as to operate as set forth.

"4. The employment-of the mass of liquid in the 'reservoir B, with the air-pump combined i therewith, as set forth, and a piston and cylinder connected therewith andhaving a oonduit, H, and gate K, or their mechanical equiv.

alents,) 4as speoiiied. Y Y l DANA BIOKFORD,

Witnesses:

R; H.- EDDY, F. REALE, Jr. 

